In a typical wireless communication system, wireless terminal equipment (TE) devices access a host computer through various access point (AP) devices. The AP devices communicate with the TE devices using a wireless communication protocol, and communicate with the host computer using some other protocol, such as a local area network (LAN) protocol. Each communication protocol is typically composed of various protocol layers in what is often referred to as a protocol stack. The protocol layers are typically implemented in software, and require certain processing resources as well as certain memory resources (e.g., for the storage of state information and data). The AP devices typically support and implement the full wireless communication protocol stack, and therefore the AP devices are typically complex devices that require substantial processing and memory resources.
One wireless communication protocol is commonly known as Bluetooth. Bluetooth defines a wireless (RF) protocol layer as well as various combinations of higher protocol layers (referred to in Bluetooth as profiles) for using Bluetooth in various applications. Bluetooth is described in a Bluetooth core specification entitled Specification of the Bluetooth System Core, Volume 1.0 B, dated Dec. 1, 1999, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Bluetooth profiles are described in a Bluetooth profiles specification entitled Specification of the Bluetooth System Profiles, Volume 1.0 B, dated Dec. 1, 1999, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. For convenience, the Bluetooth core specification and the Bluetooth profiles specification are referred to hereinafter collectively as the Bluetooth specification.
FIG. 1 shows a representation of a conventional wireless communication system 100 in accordance with an implementation of Bluetooth. The TE device 102 accesses the host computer 108 via the AP device 106, using a wireless communication protocol to communicate with the AP device 106 over a wireless medium 104 (e.g., RF through air, infrared through air).
The AP device 106 typically implements the full wireless communication protocol stack. Therefore, the AP device 106 is typically a complex device having substantial processing and memory resources.
FIG. 2 illustrates the various protocol stacks that are supported and implemented by the TE device 102, the AP device 106, and the host computer 108 within the conventional wireless communication system 100 in accordance with a LAN Access Profile of the Bluetooth specification.
The TE device 102 includes, among other things, baseband transceiver logic 202 with associated host controller interface (HCI) firmware 204 for sending and receiving protocol messages over the wireless medium 104, HCI driver logic 206, logical link control and adaptation protocol (L2CAP) logic 208 for providing connection-oriented or connectionless layer 2 services, link manager protocol (LMP) logic 210, service discovery protocol (SDP) logic 212, RF communication logic 214 for emulating multiple RS-232 connections over L2CAP, Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) logic 216, Internet Protocol (IP) logic 218, TCP/UDP logic 220, and a number of applications 222.
The AP device 106 includes, among other things, a first protocol stack for communicating with the TE device 102 and a second protocol stack for communicating with the host computer 108. The first protocol stack includes, among other things, baseband transceiver logic 224 with associated HCI firmware 226 for sending and receiving protocol messages over the wireless medium 104, HCI driver logic 228, L2CAP logic 230, LMP logic 232, SDP logic 234, RF logic 236, PPP logic 238, IP logic 240, and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) logic 242. The second protocol stack includes, among other things, LAN logic 244, IP logic 240, Proxy ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) logic 246 for resolving addresses, and AAA (authentication, authorization, and accounting) logic 248.
The host computer 108 includes, among other things, LAN logic 250, IP logic 252, TCP/UDP logic 254, and a number of applications 256.